'Sign the petition!' Footage reveals how Paris scammers target tourists with bogus causes and demands for donations

.In heavy-traffic areas, like along the river Seine, scammers prey on tourists

• .Often use a tactic of asking tourists to sign petitions for fake organisations
• .One man recorded his entire interaction, angering the scammer immensely

By KATIE AMEY FOR MAILONLINE

It's one of the most common schemes tourists encounter when they visit Paris, with plenty of guides and websites warning holidaymakers to turn and walk away.

Filmed in the tourist-heavy area along the river Seine in Paris, this footage shows a woman trying to pressure a holidaymaker into signing a petition, without explaining why or what it is for.

The woman in the video approaches the videographer, asking if he speaks English before holding out a pen and encouraging him to sign the paper she’s holding. 

+4

The footage shows a woman trying to pressure a man into signing a petition, without explaining what it is for

‘What is it?’ the man asks, while recording the interaction.

She continues to push the paper toward him, getting visibly upset when the man continues to question what exactly it is that she’s asking him to sign.

She pushes the pen toward him several more times, despite the man’s protests, before giving up and stalking off angrily.

According to the video maker, tourists are targeted by people on the street, who urge them to sign petitions and then demand they make a ‘donation’ to the organisation.

‘The problem is that there’s no organisation behind the petition,’ the man wrote online.

+4

The filmer is approached  by a woman, asking him to sign a petition for an unknown organisation

+4

When he asks for more information, including what the petition is for, the woman gets visibly agitated

‘Any money "donated" goes straight into the pockets of the scammers, or worse yet, into the pockets of their over-bosses, typically found in certain Roma communities.’

How Paris officials are fighting muggings and theft 

The French capital launched a 26-point anti-crime strategy in autumn last year and brought in police officers from other European countries to beef up security at top attractions such as the Eiffel Tower, Champs-Elysees, Notre Dame Cathedral and the Louvre.

With about 30 million visitors a year, Paris police brought in reinforcements from Belgium, Germany, Italy, Portugal and Romania to help to patrol areas visited by tourists.

It appears the plan is paying off as police announced this week that violent thefts against tourists from China, who are frequent targets for the City of Love’s criminals, have dropped by 25 per cent in 2014 compared to the same nine-month period in 2013. 

The petition can also be used as a distraction tactic while a partner pickpockets the tourists’ wallets or purses.

‘When in Paris, do not sign petitions,’ the man warns. ‘Ignore these individuals.’

The man also warns visitors that the scammers typically first ask if you speak English so that they can ascertain whether you’re a tourist, as opposed to a French-speaking local.

Earlier this month the Chinese embassy in Paris urged tourists to stay off commuter trains that run between central Paris and France's Charles de Gaulle Airport.

According to officials, there have been an unusually high number of robberies on the RER B trains since February.

The RER service has long had a reputation for being a crime hotspot, but, thankfully, according to the Paris police, tourist muggings are down eight per cent over the last year. 

Every year foreign visitors are tricked out of small change or, worse, find themselves in dangerous situations or the victims of crime.

+4

Eventually, after pushing the pen toward him several times, she gives up and walks off in a huff

While this is by no means a warning against travel, being prepared and on guard can go a long way to evading confidence tricksters, wily locals and credit card bandits. 

Foreign Office advice for travelling to France 

Take sensible precautions against street and car crime. Don’t keep your passport, credit cards and other valuables in the same place; use the inside compartments in bags where possible. Carry your bag across your body rather than on your shoulder.

Don’t be distracted around tourist attractions and cash points. Pickpockets can work in gangs: one to distract you while the other one goes into your bag. Keep your belongings close to you in restaurants and bars.

Be aware of common scams used to obtain money from tourists, there are petition, 3 card trick and gold ring tricks which are all to be avoided, more information can be found here.

Thieves and pickpockets operate on the Paris underground, RER lines and at mainline stations, for example Gare du Nord. There have been several victims of serious assault on the RER line B, which serves Paris Charles de Gaulle and Orly airports and Paris Gare du Nord Eurostar terminus. There have also been serious assaults on RER line D, which serves the Stade de France.

Peter John, author of Around the World in 80 Scams, covers some of the top cons in his book, and adds in handy advice on how to avoid any trouble.

For many of the scams, he believes the best advice is simply to walk away.

On distraction muggings the perpetrators aim to distract you while they rob you. For example, a woman with what looks like a baby – it very often is just a doll or bundle of clothes – walks up to you and makes pleas for money for her baby.

She might throw it at you too and insist you hold him/her/it for a moment.

By the time you've got rid of her you'll notice your pockets have been pilfered by her accomplice. 

Mr John says: 'People can be distracted in any number of ways – from spraying mustard or tomato sauce onto the victim's cloths to asking for directions.'

The battle to curb thefts and mugging in Paris in an ongoing one, but officials are constantly developing new programmes to counter these.

The 26-point strategy (see box above) is focusing on Eastern European gangs, who were believed to be responsible for much of the thefts from tourists.

Police said the number of Eastern Europeans who have been arrested for crimes has dropped by nearly a quarter.